Nemesia plant named ‘Nemplum’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant named ‘Nemplum’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; small green leaves; and numerous dark purple-colored flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Nemesia caerula cultivar ‘Nemplum’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesiaplant, botanically known as Nemesia caerula and referred to by the name‘Nemplum’.

The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Auckland, New Zealand. The objective of the program isto create new compact Nemesia cultivars with numerous flowers and uniqueflower colors.

The new Nemesia originated from a cross by the Inventor of the Nemesiacaerula cultivar ‘Monkey Bum’, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with the Nemesia caerula cultivar ‘RCU 1’, not patented, as themale, or pollen, parent on or about Oct. 30, 1998. The cultivar‘Nemplum’ was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environmentin Auckland, New Zealand on or about Apr. 16, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings taken in acontrolled environment in Auckland, New Zealand since September, 1999,has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable andare reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Nemesia has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be basic characteristics of ‘Nemplum’ and distinguish‘Nemplum’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Small green leaves.

4. Numerous dark purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar ‘Monkey Bum’, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Nemesia have darker green leaves than plants of thecultivar ‘Monkey Bum’.

2. Plants of the new Nemesia have dark purple-colored flowers whereasplants of the cultivar ‘Monkey Bum’ have light purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the maleparent, the cultivar ‘RCU 1’, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Nemesia are not as compact as plants of thecultivar ‘RCU 1’.

2. Plants of the new Nemesia are more floriferous than plants of thecultivars ‘RCU 1’.

3. Plants of the new Nemesia have dark purple-colored flowers whereasplants of the cultivar ‘RCU 1’ have red purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar‘Blueberry Sachet’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conductedin Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Nemesia differed from plants ofthe cultivar ‘Blueberry Sachet’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Nemesia were denser and bushier than plants of thecultivar ‘Blueberry Sachet’.

2. Plants of the new Nemesia flowered about one week later than plantsof the cultivar ‘Blueberry Sachet’.

3. Plants of the new Nemesia had dark purple-colored flowers whereasplants of the cultivar ‘Blueberry Sachet’ had blue-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Nemesia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Nemesia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical potted plant of ‘Nemplum’ that was about 14 weeks old.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical leaves and flowers of ‘Nemplum’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., in apolyethylene-covered greenhouse during the spring with day temperaturesabout 24° C., night temperatures about 19° C., and light levels about4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown for 14 weeks in 16.5-cm containerswith one plant per container and were pinched. Color references are madeto The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Nemesia caerula cultivar ‘Monkey Bum’, not patented.

Male parent.—Nemesia caerula cultivar ‘RCU 1’, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—By vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 14 days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 30 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fibrous, fine.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit. Freelybranching, typically about 38 laterals with numerous secondary lateralsdeveloping after pinching. Numerous dark purple-colored zygomorphicflowers. Vigorous.

Plant height.—About 36 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 44 cm.

Lateral branches.—Appearance: Slender and filamentous; square incross-section. Length: About 34 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internodelength: About 1.5 to 4 cm. Strength: Moderately strong, wiry; withdevelopment, lateral branches tend to bend with weight of flowers.Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Quantity: About 18per lateral branch. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Acute torounded. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Margin: Serrate.Texture: Glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Fragrance:Pungent, grassy. Petiole length: About 2 mm. Petiole diameter: About 2mm. Color: Young leaves, upper surface: 147A. Young leaves, lowersurface: 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 146A. Fullyexpanded leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper and lower sufaces:146B. Petiole: 146B.

Flowering description:

Arrangement/appearance.—Zygomorphic solitary flowers arranged onterminal racemes; flowring acropetally towards apex. Flowers bilabiatewith nectar spur. Flowers face outward. Flowers last about four to fivedays on the plant. Flowers not persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Natural flowering season is spring to fall;flowering continuous during this period.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering with about 12 flowers and flowerbuds per raceme at one time.

Fragrance.—Faint, spicy and sweet.

Inflorescence length.—About 13.5 cm.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.5 cm.

Flower length.—About 1.3 cm.

Flower width.—About 1.2 cm.

Flower depth, including nectar spur.—About 8 mm.

Nectar spur length.—About 7 mm.

Flower buds.—Shape: Ovoid with spur. Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About6 mm. Color: 76B.

Petals.—Arrangement/shape: Five petals total. Four upper petals arefused at base to form an upright lobed and arched banner lip; lowerpetal modified into a larger lip with nectar spur and convex ovalprotuberance which serves as pollinator nectar guide and landingplatform. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Length: Upper lip petals: About6 mm. Lower lip petal: About 7 mm. Width: Upper lip petals: Lateral twopetals: About 5 mm. Center two petals: About 3 mm. Lower lip petal:About 1 cm. Texture: Smooth, velvety. Color: When opening, uppersurface: 77B. When opening, lower surface: 76C. Fully opened, uppersurface: 90A to 90B; color fading to 90D towards the margin and 84Atowards the center with subsequent development. Fully opened, lowersurface: 76C to 76D. Nectar guide: 2A. Nectar spur: 2C.

Sepals.—Quantity: Five-parted, star-shaped calyx. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About1 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper andlower surfaces: 144A.

Peduncle.—Length: About 13.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength:Strong. Angle: Upright to 45° from the stem. Color: 144A.

Pedicel.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Strength:Slender, but hold flowers outward. Angle: About 45° from the stem.Color: 144B.

Androecium.—Stamen number: Four per flower. Anther shape: Oval. Anthersize: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 6A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollencolor: 6A.

Gynoecium.—Pistil number: One per flower. Stigma shape: Flattened.Pistil length: About 2 mm. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: 144D.Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 144D. Ovary color: 144B.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed on plants ofthe new Nemesia.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nemesia have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Nemesias.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed tobe tolerant to temperatures ranging from 4° to 32° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant named‘Nemplum’, as illustrated and described.